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The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) and the Ad Council unveiled a new series of public service announcements (PSAs) that feature footage from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me 2. The PSAs will be distributed nationwide this month and reinforce the established NRFC theme, “Take Time to Be a Dad Today.”
The PSAs feature Despicable Me 2 characters Gru, his three girls and the Minions, and use excerpted footage from the film. With Gru as the featured dad, the ads communicate the unique and irreplaceable role that fathers play in the lives of their children. The television, outdoor, radio, and digital PSAs direct people to the NRFC website, Fatherhood.gov, for more information and resources.
“We are excited to have the Despicable Me 2 characters relay the importance of father involvement,” says Kenneth Braswell, Director, NRFC. “We hope this initiative connects even more people to Fatherhood.gov for useful tips and tools to make parenting easier.”
If you’re interested in showing your support for involved fathers and the NRFC – Despicable Me 2 PSA partnership, consider updating your Facebook or Twitter pages! Download the files from our Multimedia section:
If you do – tell us about it! Connect with us @fatherhoodgov on Facebook or Twitter, or email info@fatherhood.gov.
One of the greatest things that a father can do for the mother of his children is to show his appreciation for her. Whether mom and dad are together or co-parenting apart, fathers expressing appreciation for mom, greatly benefits the mother, the father, and the child(ren).
Mom will feel appreciated for the balancing act that she gracefully performs every day, often sacrificing to ensure that the needs of others are met. Dad benefits as his displays of appreciation rebuild or deepen the bond and connection between him and the mother of his children. Finally, the child(ren) benefit by witnessing mom and dad uplifting and supporting one another, providing a strong example for their children’s future relationships.
This Mother’s Day, the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) encourages all fathers to express appreciation of her value, daily sacrifice, and the essential role that mothers play in the lives of children and families. Below are some simple, cost effective ideas to consider to express appreciation for mothers on Mother’s Day:
Let the children help: Coordinate with the children to make mom a unique Mother’s Day card. Children love to be creative, so let them share in your excitement and desire to show mom appreciation.
Give her flowers: This is a nice way to say thank you.
Special Delivery: Coordinate with the children to prepare or order mom’s favorite breakfast on Mother’s Day!
Top 10: Write down 10 reasons that you appreciate mom. If you are in the same household, strategically place them throughout the house or in the car for her to “stumble upon” throughout Mother’s Day. If you are living apart, send them to her in a letter, e-mail, or text.
Value Pack: Make Mother’s Day a celebration for mom to remember. Create and maintain an atmosphere throughout the entire day that shows that you value the role that mom plays. Do the “little things” that make her feel valued (i.e. if she likes a clean house, clean the house; if her car needs washing, wash it).
Kenneth Braswell, Director, National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
Growing up I have fond memories of accompanying my mother and father to work. With great anticipation I would jump into the car and head to work with Mom at least once a year. While the experience was often scary it was exciting to climb up on the big chair in the back of the room and watch Mom work. Mom was a High School Home Economics teacher at an urban school in Baltimore, MD.
Going to work with Dad was altogether a different experience witnessing the day-to-day operations at the United States Postal Service. Before Dad would go out on his route I learned firsthand how mail was sorted and how enormous a responsibility it was getting the mail out. Rain, sleet or snow my Dad and other postal workers ensured that the mail got out on time.
Having these experiences as a child help shape my earliest recollections of the importance of going to work. Realizing how hard my parents worked and the daily responsibilities and commitment of having a job taught me the power of work ethic and sacrifice at a young age.
On Thursday, April 25, 2013 children and parents will participate in Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day, an annual effort supporting greater opportunities to expose children to the world of work and what parents do in their daily lives.
Founded in 2003 Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day was developed to introduce children to the wide array of careers and create opportunities for children to bond with their parents. While we all want our children to be successful in life, taking advantage of Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day is great activity which promotes career exploration for children.
For the past 20 years millions of children and parents across the United States have participated in Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day and celebrated the success of expanding meaningful educational opportunities for children.
A few tips to consider for taking your child to work:
- Be sure to plan your visit ahead of time.
- Notify your child’s school that they will be absent.
- Contact your supervisor to get consent to bring your child to work.
- Determine how long your child is going to stay at work with you. Full day? Or half a day?
- Leave any games, cell phones, and other devices which make noise at home.
- Set some boundaries for the day (use inside voice & no playing are just a few).
- Talk to your child. Let them know what to expect at your job.
Please share your experiences, stories, and photos with us on Facebook.
For more information about Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day visit http://www.daughtersandsonstowork.org.
David Miller is the Social Media Manager for the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
I’m sure that you have all heard the statement, “they don’t have a manual that comes with your child when they are born on how to be a parent”. There still isn’t a manual, but there are some cheat sheets. The NRFC’s Fatherhood Buzz Tip cards can be found online, and may be at your local barbershop. Barbershops are safe havens where men gather to get a haircut and talk about life’s events. What are the tips? They are simple and straightforward.
- Spend time with your children. Each moment can create positive memories.
- Always keep your promises. It builds and maintains trust with your children.
- Celebrate and praise your children’s accomplishments. It will increase their confidence and encourage them to keep trying.
- Tell both your sons and daughters that you love them. Not just for what they do. But for whom they are.
Spend time…Sometimes as parents we don’t realize how important spending time with our children is. Little moments mean a lot. My father was a Union Pacific Railroad waiter. The family used to see him off at the front door when he was going out on the road. At eight years of age Daddy always let me carry his suitcase. After kissing my mother, older sister and younger brother good bye he would say to me, “Take care of everybody. You are the man of the house.” Looking back on it now I realize that Daddy did not consider me to be a man. But for that brief period in time he taught me about what a man is supposed to do to keep his family safe. Those words have stayed with me for a lifetime.
Keep your promises…One of the first things that fathers can teach their child is how to trust. An infant develops trust when his cries are met with a clean diaper, a bottle or by holding her securely in her father’s arms. Children thrive on consistency. Continue to be there for them to meet their needs. Keeping your promises completes the bridge between the development of trust to a child with integrity.
Praise your child for their accomplishments. If you tell her she is smart, pretty, good, kind and trustworthy, they will believe it themselves. Why? Because Daddy said so! It will give them the courage to persevere when life throws them a curve.
Always tell your sons and daughters that you love them. A father’s demonstration of love for his daughter will keep them from looking for love in all the wrong places when they get older. Dads, please remember this. Showing your son affection and telling him you love him will not make him soft. Those three words are money in the bank that they can draw from to enrich their lives and those close to them.
There really isn’t a manual that comes with the birth of your child. But, the Fatherhood Buzz Tips for Fathers helps to lay the foundation… and your time, promises, praise and love are the building blocks for their future.
Dr. Ronald Banks, Project Fatherhood, Children’s Institute.
Our views on money management were modeled by our parents. Attitudes and fears are attributable to lessons that we learned or didn’t learn growing-up. Before teaching your children about finances, it is important to explore and understand your relationship with money. Understanding your own emotional relationship with it will help you to avoid passing on bad habits. Fatherhood Buzz has listed four tips for teaching your children money management. They are: keep a budget; track expenses; check credit scores; and start saving.
Have you ever tried and failed to keep a budget? Most of us have. The key is to make it realistic. An unrealistic budget is doomed to failure. If your budget is too restrictive, you will not follow it. When planning your budget, it is important to make a list of essential items. It is also important to teach your children to reward themselves on occasion. Going “cold turkey” on pleasurable purchases often leads to failure. Creating a realistic budget and following it, will help you to accomplish your financial goals whether it’s eliminating debt, building your savings or making a large purchase.
Track all your expenses. It will help you see where you spend your money. It’s hard to know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been.
Did you know that it’s free to check your credit score once a year? Checking credit scores ensures that you are aware of all your debt and can correct any errors. Teach your children that bad credit scores can affect everything from getting a job to renting an apartment or buying a house.
Finally, create a “rainy day” fund or savings account by saving even a small amount of your check every pay day. Teach your children to “pay themselves first” by making regular deposits into your savings account. When I was a boy, my uncle encouraged me to save a quarter every day. I only did it for a short period of time, but can you imagine how much money your child would have by eighteen by saving a quarter every day? For children, even saving a smaller amount each day is a great practice.
Implementing these tips and passing them on to your children will create financial practices discipline that will pay dividends for your children. Managing money well is vital to their future.
Dr. Ronald Banks, Project Fatherhood, Children’s Institute.
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